Riding the Rails -- Muir Woods and Sausalito

When I was a child I dreamed of seeing redwoods after reading about these magnificent trees in textbooks, travel books, magazines and encyclopedias.

Among the giant redwoods

That dream came true on my trip to California when we visited John Muir Woods, named after the naturalist who was one of the founders of the Sierra Club in 1892. 

And I wasn't disappointed.

The trails that wind through the woods.

The redwoods were as tall and beautiful as I had seen them in photographs many years ago.  And to walk among those ancient trees -- some more than a thousand years old and 350-feet tall -- along the quiet and tranquil trails only heightened the experience.  

It's certainly something I'll never forget. It was one of the reasons I wanted to make this trip to America's west coast.

The marina at Sausalito

After spending a couple hours in the woods, the tour bus took us to upscale and swanky Sausalito -- situated across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco.

Sausalito shops

There is a picturesque marina to accommodate the sailboats and yachts, a great view of San Francisco Bay, an assortment of tony shops and pricey restaurants, and a laid-back feel to the whole place.

It's a scenic stopover between San Francisco and John Muir Woods.

Until the next time...

Riding the Rails -- From Grandeur to Majesty

After experiencing the grandeur of Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona, I got to view the majesty of Yosemite National Park in California.

Wow!

Majestic Yosemite National Park

Stellar's jay

Deer

For many years I raved about Grand Canyon -- and I still do -- but I must confess that I  now enjoy Yosemite more because I found it much more accessible. Age-related thing? Could be, but you have a seven-mile wide canyon, those powerful granite monoliths, wonderful hiking trials, various wildlife, and much more. 

El Capitan

And there's El Capitan, the 3,000-foot tall formation that attracts climbers, BASE jumpers, and gawkers throughout the year. The sheer enormity of El Capitan might be understood since there were several climbers scaling its heights that you probably can't see from image. We were told it takes three to five days to accomplish the feat, depending on the skill of the climbers and weather conditions.


During our visit there were wildfires on the north side of the park which created a slight haze near some of the peaks. And we didn't see those magnificent waterfalls because of the drought that is affecting much of the Golden State. 


Another interesting stop  was seeing the place where President Ted Roosevelt camped with naturalist John Muir during a visit in 1903.

I hope to return to this beautiful national park and experience more of its wonders.

Until the next time...

Story Songs: Surf City

While The Beatles and the British bands may have ruled most of the 1960s, it was American surf musicians who, pardon the pun, established the first beachhead in that wonderful decade of music.

With the likes of The Beach Boys, Dick Dale, The Trashmen,  The Surfaris, and many others, surf music was the rage of American teens, even those like me who lived in Kentucky. They presented us with a world of sun-kissed beaches, endless blue waves, and bikini-clad babes that most of us could only dream about back then.

One of my all-time favorite groups is Jan and Dean, who had the first No. 1 surf song with "Surf City" in 1963. It was written by Jan Berry and Brian Wilson, with some input from  Dean Torrence.

The song opens with a spirited, "Two girls for every boy."
It's no wonder that we landlocked guys wanted to head to the West Coast in a woodie and buy a surf board, if only to look cool strutting on the beach.

"You see they never roll the streets up 'cause there's always somethin' goin'

(Surf City, here we come)

You know they're either out surfin' or they got a party growin'

(Surf City, here we come)

Well, with two swingin' honeys for every guy

And all you gotta do is just wink your eye"

There's no stopping the guys heading to Surf City, even if their woodie breaks down and they have to hitch a ride. Why?

"...we're goin' to Surf City, 'cause it's two to one

You know we're goin' to Surf City, gonna have some fun

You know we're goin' to Surf City, 'cause it's two to one

You know we're goin' to Surf City, gonna have some fun, now

Because there's:

"Two girls for every boy."

Some folks remember only Jan and Dean's "Dead Man's Curve," recorded nearly two years before Jan's near-fatal car accident in which he suffered severe head injuries, of which he never fully recovered. Jan passed away in 2004 at the age of 62; Dean still performs on occasion with a surf-music group.

The duo had several top-selling songs such as "Linda," "The New Girl in School," "Ride the Wild Surf," "Sidewalk Surfin'," "Little Old Lady From Pasadena," "Drag City," and "Honolulu Lulu." I believe they're another group that has been overlooked, and underrated, by Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

If you're ever want to go to "Surf City," the city of Huntington Beach, Calif., is nationally recognized as the official, "Surf City USA." 

"Surf City" lyrics

Until the next time...